Combined drier and room dehumidifier



Feb. 10, 1953 R. R. cANDoR COMBINED DRIER AND ROOM DEHUMI'DIFIER FiledNov. 6, 1951 Fix 1 INVENTOR. Zoazxr. IP. CA vnR.

Patented Feb. 10, 1953 COMBINED DRIER AND ROOM DEHUMIDIFIER Robert R.Candor, Dayton, Ohio, assignor to General Motors Corporation, Dayton,Ohio, a

corporation of Delaware Application November 6, 1951, Serial No. 255,120

9 Claims.

This invention relates to domestic appliances and more particularly to acombined clothes dryer and room air dehumidifier.

: Home laundry equipment usually is placed in the basement or in a smallutility room. Previous clothes dryers of such equipment tend todischarge large quantities of water vapor into such basement or smallutility room. This produces or aggravates high relative humidities inthese places, causing undesirable rusting or molding therein.

According to this invention, an apparatus is provided which is capableof drying clothes without producing harmful relative humidities duringthe drying operation in the space in which the apparatus is located, andwhich is capable of reducing undesirably high relative humidities whichordinarily are prevalent in such spaces during the time that suchapparatus is not drying clothes.

The basement, utility room or similar place in which a clothes dryer isto be placed will be referred to hereafter as a room, for convenienceand brevity.

An object of this invention is to provide an apparatus having a roomdehumidifier of normal capacity which is utilized to dehumidify room airand to store refrigerating capacity while the apparatus is not beingused as a clothes dryer, and which utilizes the stored refrigeratingcapacity to condense the vapor driven off theclothes during a dryingoperation. This avoids the necessity of providing an excessively largerefrigerating apparatus which otherwise would be necessary to condensethe vapor in the short time during which clothes are being dried.

Another object of this invention is to provide a combined clothes dryerand room air dehumidiher of such a character that it dehumidifies theroom air and stores up refrigeration capacity while the clothes dryer isinactive or is not drying clothes, and utilizes the stored uprefrigerating capacity for condensing vapor from the clothes dryer whilethe clothes dryer is drying clothes.

Further objects of my invention will be apparent from the followingdescription, reference being had to the accompanying drawings whereinpreferred forms of the invention are clearly shown.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a diagrammatic view generally in vertical cross-section of acombined clothes dryer and room air dehumidifier embodying features ofmy invention; and Figure 2 is a wiring diagram applicable to theapparatus shown in Figure 1.

7 A combined clothes dryer and room air dehumidifier, according to myinvention, includes a clothes dryer cabinet 9 having a clothes dryingchamber [0 and a vapor condenser H therein. The room air dehumidifierincludes duct means l2 forming an air passageway through which room airis circulated through cabinet 9. A refrigerating system within cabinet 9includes a refrigerant condensing portion (such as a refrigerantcondenser 13 associated with a refrigerant motor-compressor l4) and arefrigerant evaporating portion (including one or more evaporators l5and 16). The vapor condenser H is in the form of a closed insulated tanki8 having vapor condensing passages extending therethrough and containsa holdover medium ll. The medium I1 is provided for storing uprefrigcrating capacity during the period of time when the clothes dryeris inactive or is not drying clothes. Means for cooling the holdover ITby the refrigerant evaporating portion of the refrigerating system whilethe clothes dryer is not drying clothes is provided. This cooling meansmay take any convenient form and in the present disclosure therefrigerant evaporator 16 is located in tank or compartment l8 and is soconstructed that the refrigerant evaporating portion It cools theholdover I! while the clothes dryer is inactive. Means are provided fordehumidifying the room air circulated through the passageway l2, whilethe clothes dryer is inactive. This may be accomplished by locating therefrigerant evaporator [5, the refrigerant condenser l3, and therefrigerant motor-compressor M in the passageway l2,' together with anair circulating fan i9 driven by the motor 20, which causes room air toenter the passageway l2 at some such point as air inlet 2!, bedehumidified in the passageway, and be discharged through air outlet 22back into the room.

The clothes dryer conveniently may include a rotatable perforatedagitator drum 24 located in a stationary casing 25 which may have aninsulated covering therearound. The drum 24 may be driven by a clothesdryer motor 26 through the medium of a speed reduction transmission,such as a belt drive diagrammatically indicated at 21. Aheater 28 isprovided, preferably electric, and may include reflectors 29; Ifdesired,

an air inlet 30 may be provided, in casing 25, for the chamber 10 andmay be controlled by a damper 3! which is operated by a solenoid 32 tobe open while clothes are being dried and to be closed at other times.

The vapor condenser I! may include a plurality of tubes into which thewater vapor'from the clothes drying drum 24 may flow and may becondensed. The water thus condensed flows down the tubes and through thescreen 36, which forms the bottom of a removable receptacle 35, and thenfalls into the bottom of sump 36. Any lint released by the clothes fallsinto the vapor condenser Ii, and then into the screen 34. The water insump 36 flows through the pipe 31 to a pump 38, driven by motor 29through transmission 39, from whence the water can be discharged into adrain or stationary laundry tub by the pipe 40.

The holdover medium I? may store refrigerating capacity by being cooledthroughout in the liquid stage, or preferably by a partial or completechange of phase from the liquid to the solid state. Preferably aholdover medium is chosen which has a solidifying temperature slightlyabove the normal operating temperature of the refrigerant evaporatingportion. For example, if the normal temperature of the refrigerantevaporating portion is 40 F., then the holdover may have a freezingtemperature slightly above 40 F.

The vapor leaving or being driven from the clothes by the heaters 28 maybe driven by its own pressure into the vapor condenser H; but preferablythis vapor is carried by a relatively small volume of air circulatingfrom the room into the opening 30, through the drum 24 and eventuallymixing with the room air entering at the opening 2! and thence beingdischarged through the opening 22, as indicated by the arrows, at arelative humidity that is not harmful to the room in which the apparatusis located.

Controls are provided whereby the apparatus may be operated with theroom air dehumidifier operating under automatic controls, or operatingindependently of any automatic controls. For this purpose, a controlleror master switch 58 is provided in the source of electricity, line L1, i

which is movable from an off position to either a non-automatic positionor to an automatic position. For this purpose, the movable contact arm5! may be moved from the off position into engagement with thestationary contacts 52, 53, and 58. When arm BI is brought into contactwith the contacts 52 and 53, the dehumidifier operates independently ofany automatic controls; and when the movable contact arm 5! engagescontacts 53 and 54, the dehumidifier operates under automatic control.In either case the clothes dryer may be energized by manipulation of itsindividual time controlled switch 64.

The apparatus may operate as a room air dehumidifier alone, without anyclothes drying action, and with the master switch 50 in either operatingposition, as long as dryer switch 64 is in its oif position. Under theseconditions, the motor-compressor l4 and the fan motor 26 are energized.Compressed refrigerant flows from the motor-compressor Hi to therefrigerant condenser i 3 then through the refrigerant restrictor orexpander 55, then through the refrigerant evaporating portions I6 and I5and from thence back to the refrigerant motorcompressor i4. At the sametime, room air is circulated by the fan l9, the air entering from theroom through the opening 2|, in a wall of cabinet 9, into the passagewayl2 and thence out through the screened outlet 22. The vapor in the roomair is condensed on surfaces of the refrigerant evaporator i5, thecondensed water dripping on the floor of the passageway l2, and flowinginto the sump 36, from whence it is diserant evaporator 16.

The apparatus operates with the dehumidifier under automatic controlswhen the movable cone tact arm 5| engages the contacts 53 and 54. The

refrigerating system is energized through the line 65, passing eitherthrough the thermostatic switch 6! (the bulb 62 of which is embedded inthe holdover medium I?) or through the room humidistatic switch 61a, orboth. The switches 61 and 61a have off and on adjusted positions, as iswell known. As long as the holdover I! has not been cooled sufiiciently,the switch 6| remains closed, and the motor-compressor I4 is energized.As long as the room has not been sufficiently dehumidified, the switch61a remains closed and energizes the motor-compressor (4. When both theholdover l1 and the room are in proper condition, the motor-compressorI4 is stopped.

The clothes dryer may be energized while the switch 5G is in eitheractive position, i. e., with 5! in contact with either 52 or 54. Theelectric line 63 from contact 53 passes through the clothes dryer timecontrolled switch 64, then to the dryer motor 26, solenoid 32 and heater23 (the other side of the heater may be connected to the neutral line,or if desired to a 220 volt line L2, as indicated in dotted lines). Thedryer switch 6 5 is of the usual type, having a handle 65 which may bemoved from an off position to any one of several minute on positions.

7 This movement of handle 65 closes the switch 64 deenergized. Switchesof this character are well known and hence are not further disclosedherein.

When the master switch or controller 50 is moved to the non-automaticposition, i. c. with 1 arm 5| engaging contact 52, the motor-compressorHi operates continuously. The first refrigerating action is concentratedon the holdover medium i7, and this holdover is cooled to the necessarycondition. Thereafter the refrigerant liquid overflows evaporatorportion 16 into the evaporator I 5, which then proceeds to dehumidifythe air entering through opening 2|. From that time on, themotor-compressor Hi and fan 19 continue to dehumidify the room air untilsuch time as the switch 50 is moved to some other position.

The damper 3| of opening 30 remains closed by gravity at all times thatno clothes drying action is required, since the solenoid 32 is notenergized. The damper 31 opens whenever a clothes drying action isrequired, since the closing of the switch 64 for this purposeautomatically energizes the solenoid 32 which in turn causes the damper3i by way of an arm, bell-crank lever or the like, to open. This damperaction prevents the holdover i? from being unnecessarily warmed whenthere is no clothes drying action required.

stances Il'ie open position of damper Si is indicated in Fig. 1 by thedot-dash line showing thereof.

From the foregoing it should be apparent that a novel combined clothesdryer and room air dehumidifier is provided. Ehe provision of a holdovermedium for the clothes dryer vapor condenser permits cooling this mediumwith a relatively small capacity and inexpensive refrigerating systemwhereby a cooler of great capacity is afforded so as to be effectivethroughout a clothes drying action of the dryer and so as to maintainthe clothes dryer in readiness for a drying action. The combinedapparatus will during and after a clothes drying action thereof removemoisture humidifier comprising: a clothes dryer having a damp clothesdrying chamber and a vapor condenser; a room air dehumidifier havingmeans forming a passageway through which room air is circulated; arefrigerating system including a refrigerant condensing portion and arefrigerant evaporating portion; a holdover medium thermally associatedwith said vapor condenser, means for cooling said holdover medium bysaid refrigerant evaporating portion while said clothes dryer isinactive for drying damp fabrics, and means for dehumidifying the roomair circulated through said passageway including said refrigerantevaporating portion and said refrigerant condensing portion.

2. A combined clothes dryer and room air dehumidifier comprising: aclothes dryer having a damp clothes drying chamber and a vaporcondenser; a room air dehumidifier having means forming a passagewaythrough which room air is circulated; a refrigerating system including arefrigerant condensing portion and a refrigerant evaporating portion; aholdover medium thermally associated with said vapor condenser, meansfor cooling said holdover medium by said refrigerant evaporating portionwhile said clothes dryer is inactive for drying damp fabrics, means fordehumidifying the room air circulated through said passageway includingsaid refrigerant evaporating portion and said refrigerant condensingportion, and said last named means being operable while said clothesdryer in inactive for drying damp clothes.

3. A combined clothes dryer and room air dehumidifier comprising: aclothes dryer having, a

damp clothes drying chamber and a vapor condenser; a room airdehumidifier having means forming a passageway through which room air iscirculated; a refrigerating system including a refrigerant condensingportion and a refrigerant evaporating portion; a holdover mediumthermally associated with said vapor condenser, means for cooling saidholdover medium by said refrigerant evaporating portion while saidclothes dryer is inactive for drying damp fabrics, means fordehumidifying the room air circulated through said passageway includingsaid refrigerant evaporating portion and said refrigerant condensingportion, and means for controlling the operation of said room airdehumidifying means in response to the temperature of said holdovermedium.

4. A combined clothes dryer and room air dehumidifier comprising: aclothes dryer having a damp clothes drying chamber and a vaporcondenser; a room air dehumidifier having means forming a passagewaythrough which room air is circulated; a refrigerating system including arefrigerant evaporating portion and a refrigerant condensing portionwith a motor-compressor, a holdover medium thermally associated withsaidvapor condenser, means for cooling said holdover medium by saidrefrigerant evaporating portion of said refrigerating system, means fordehumidifying the room air circulated through said passageway includingsaid refrigerant evaporatihg portion and said refrigerant condensingportion, said clothes dryer including a time con trolled switch, acontroiler for connecting said switch to a source of'electricity and forsimultaneously energizing said motor-compressor of said refrigeratingsystem, and said time controlled switch being operable at will toenergize said clothes dryer.

5. A combined clothes dryer and room air dehumidifier comprising; aclothes dryer having a damp clothes drying chamber and a vaporcondenser; a room air dehumidifier having means forming a passagewaythrough which room airis circulated; a refrigerating system including arefrigerant evaporating portion and a refrigerant condensing portionwith a motor-compressor, a holdover medium thermally associated withsaid vapor condenser, means for cooling said holdover medium by saidrefrigerant evaporating por-' tion of said refrigerating system, meansfor de-' humidifying the room air circulated through said passagewayincluding said refrigerant evaporating portion and said refrigerantcondensing'portion, said clothes dryer including a time controlledswitch, a controller for connecting said switch to a source ofelectricity and for simultaneously energizing and causing continuousoperation of said motor-compressor, said time controlled switch beingoperable at will to energize said clothes dryer, and said controllerbeing movable from its position causing continuous operation of saidmotor-compressor into another position, while said time controlledswitch is connected to said source of electricity, to place theenergization of said motor-compressor under the control of athermostatic switch actuated in response to the temperature of saidholdover medium and/or under the control of a humidistatic switchactuated in response to the moisture content of air in the room in whichthe combined apparatus is located.

6. In combination; a clothes dryer cabinet, a container within saidcabinet for receiving dampj clothes to be dried, means for heating thedamp clothes received in said container, a vapor condenser within saidcabinet through which heated moist air leaving the clothes flows, aholdover medium in thermal exchange relationship with said vaporcondenser, means for cooling said holdover medium to cause said vaporcondenser to remove moisture from the heated moist air flowingtherethrough prior to its egress from' said cabinet, said cooling meansincluding a refrigerant evaporating portion of a closed refrigeratingsystem within said cabinet, said refrigerating system including anotherrefrigerant evaporating portion isolated from the holdover mediumcooling portion thereof, a refrigerant condensing portion and an aircirculating means, said air circulating means being adapted to draw airinto said cabinet over said another refrigerant evaporating portion andsaid refrigerant condensing portion of the refrigerating system and todischarge the air from said cabinet, and said another refrigerantevaporating portion and said refrigerant condensing portion of saidsystem condensing moisture out of the air in the room in which thecabinet is located.

'7. In combination; a clothes dryer cabinet, a container within saidcabinet for receiving damp clothes to be dried, means for heating thedamp clothes received in said container, a vapor condenser within saidcabinet through which heated moist air leaving the clothes flows, aholdover medium in thermal exchange relationship with said vaporcondenser, means for cooling said holdover medium to cause said vaporcondenser to remove moisture from the heated moist air flowingtherethrough prior to its egress from said cabinet, said cooling meansincluding a refrigerant evaporating portion of a closed refrigeratingsystem within said cabinet, said refrigerating system including anotherrefrigerant evapcrating portion isolated from the holdover mediumcooling portion thereof, a refrigerant condensing portion and an aircirculating means, said circulating means being adapted to draw air intosaid cabinet over said another refrigerant evaporating portion and saidrefrigerant condensing portion of the refrigerating system and todischarge the air from said cabinet, said another refrigerantevaporating portion and said refrigerant condensing portion of saidsystem condensing clothes to be dried, means for heating the damp 1clothes received in said container, a vapor condenser within saidcabinet through which heated moist air leaving the clothes fiows, aholdover medium in thermal exchange relationship with said vaporcondenser, means for cooling said.

holdover medium to cause said vapor condenser to remove moisture fromthe heated moist air flowing therethrough prior to its egress from saidcabinet, said cooling means including a refrigerating evaporatingportion of a closed refrigcrating system within said cabinet, saidrefrigerating system including another refrigerant evaporating portionisolated from the holdover medium cooling portion thereof and arefrigerant condensing portion with a motor-compressor,

an air circulating means, said air circulating means being adapted todraw air into said cabinet over said refrigerant condensing portion ofthe refrigerating system and to discharge the air from said cabinet,said refrigerant condensing portion of said system condensing moistureout of the air in the room in which said cabinet is located, a timecontrolled switch for energizing and deenergizing said heating means, a

8 controller for connecting said switch to a source of electricity andfor simultaneously energizing and causing continuous operation of saidmotorcompressor and said air circulating means, and said time controlledswitch being operable at will to energize said heating means.

9. In combination; a clothes dryer cabinet, a container within saidcabinet for receiving damp clothes to be dried, means for heating thedamp clothes received in said container, a vapor condenser within saidcabinet through which heated moist air leaving the clothes flows, aholdover medium in thermal exchange relationship with said vaporcondenser, means for cooling said holdover medium to cause said vaporcondenser to remove moisture from the heated moist air flowingtherethrough prior to its egress from said cabinet, said cooling meansincluding a refrigerant evaporating portion of a closed refrigeratingsystem within said cabinet, said refrigerating system including anotherrefrigerant evaporating portion isolated from the holdover mediumcooling portion thereof and a refrigerant condensing portion with amotor-compressor, an air circulating means, said air circulating meansbeing adapted to draw air into said cabinet over said refrigerantcondensing portion of the refrigerating system and to discharge the airfrom said c binet, said refrigerant condensing portion of said systemcondensing moisture out of the air in the room in which said cabinet islocated, a time controlled switch for energizing and deenergizing saidheating means, a controller for connecting said switch to a, source ofelectricity and for simultaneously energizing and causing continuousoperation of said motor-compressor and said air circulating means, saidtime controlled switch being operable at will to energize said heatingmeans, and said controller being movable from its position causingcontinuous energization and operation of said motor-compressor and saidair circulating means into another position, while said time controlledswitch is connected to said source of electricity, to place theenergisation of said motor-compressor and said air circulating meansunder the control of a thermostatic switch actuated in response to thetemperature of said holdover medium and/or under the control of ahumidistatic switch actuated in response to the moisture content of airin the room in which the cabinet is located.

ROBERT R. CANDOR.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file ofthis patent:

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